Not The Big Bang I Was Hoping For

Well, the Pfaffls officially made it to Ash Wednesday Mass last night (whew!)....but we made the mistake of bringing the munchkin with us. I hate using the word "mistake" because Andy and I both really do love taking Landon to Mass with us (but you'll see why I used that term in a moment...). We both think it's good to expose him to our Sunday routine...and I also hate it when Andy and I have to "take shifts" watching Landon on Sundays--We either end up going to church alone or not at all (the latter being the most common outcome lately)...So, anyways, the three of us (and diaper supplies and a bag full of toys and books--ha ha!) made our way into church ON TIME last night. I can't really tell you what happened after that, except that the kids who were in the cry room were making faces at Landon through the window...that Landon's little Chick Hicks race car kept falling to the concrete floor, echoing a loud crash each time (during the quietest times of the service, no less)...Oh, I can also proudly report to you that my darling son announced he "had poop" loudly just before communion--That was super exciting for everyone. As it turns out, there was no poop, but there was a big production getting him out to the car in the rain to find that out. Let's see what else I got out of Mass...Hmm--well, Landon (who was thrilled to be getting ashes on his forehead, even though he didn't know what ashes were) was very solemn while he was getting the cross put on his head. He was so quiet while he stood in front of the deacon and had this sweet "I am important" look on his face....that is until he saw ME walking behind him back to our seats with black ashes smeared on my head. He thought I was doing some silly thing just for his amusement and just cracked up. He kept saying (in an "outdoor voice" so that he could be sure that I would hear him over the music, if you know what I mean), "You have black stuff all over your head!! Mom! There's black stuff on you! (giggle fit and frantic pointing here)" I can also tell you that the man who gave me my host at Communion had a gross dirty Band-Aid on his finger...Being the annoying germ-o-phobe that I am, I almost wanted to say, "No thank you" to the communion and keep going, but I dutifully put it in my mouth, chewed and swallowed, content only after realizing that Andy had carried Landon up to take Communion (leaving him "hand-less") and he got the Band-Aid put directly in his mouth --heh heh heh!

So, in closing, I made it to Mass. I was totally distracted, but it somehow still felt good to be there and to be meeting my goals, you know? I made it to Mass. On a Wednesday, no less. With energetic pre-schooler in tow (and he was as good and quiet and still as any pre-schooler could be expected to be, poor thing). After we got home, Landon fell asleep (we were hoping this would happen an hour earlier...). He woke up after a little bit and said in his raspy little sleepy voice, "Mommy? I'm sorry I was loud in church." He was so sad and disappointed in himself! I took his little face in my hands and I said, "Look at my eyes." He looked at me with his chin quivering and tears in his eyes and I told him, "You were just exactly what I wanted you to be, okay? You were perfect." He smiled and said, "Okay." and then hugged me and went back to sleep...and I said a Rosary and went to bed, too.

Mass. No meat. Rosary...I'm doing pretty good so far in spite of being a mom (and apparently having a bad case of ADD)--hee hee hee!

Lent

Ash Wednesday: Joel 2:12-18

"Start (or continue) a spiritual journal today. Set down spiritual goals that you hope will accompany your concrete penances to return to the Lord."

Today is Ash Wednesday, the day that marks the beginning of the Lenten season, and I am planning on honoring the Catholic Church's traditions and teachings this year as much as possible. A lot of people have been asking me what exactly the Catholic Church has it's members do during Lent so I am going to include links to information throughout this post.
Most people give something up for Lent...but I'm thinking that this year I am going to try to DO positive things more than trying not to do one negative thing. I am going to use these forty days to really clean up my life, re-prioritize, and get back to doing what really counts. I want to try to work on the following things:

1. Make it to church for Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligation & try to make it to Stations of the Cross on fridays
2. Abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday and on all fridays throughout Lent
3. Be more patient with my husband
4. Spend more quality time with my son
5. Start going back to my yoga/pilates class and walking
6. Go to all of my doctors and my dentist for check-ups (UGH! My least favorite
promise!!) and then plan our next baby (my scariest promise!!)
7. Give ten percent of our income to our church, friends/family in need, and to
charities
8. Watch what I say about others and try to be more positive
9. Pray more often. I want to say a rosary every day if I can!
10. Eat better (including giving up desserts--Eeek!), start to take my vitamins again

Lent is such a good opportunity to start fresh and clean with life.


The sacrifices are difficult, but they always help me to get to the root of my faith and to remember what really matters in life. Every year I feel like the changes I make will "stick", and even though I get closer and closer each year to where I want to be, I am still so far off from my goal. I know that most of the things I am planning on doing are things that I am SUPPOSED to do, being Catholic and all, but they are things that I don't always do during Lent and I'm making a point to do them this year. I'm planning on blogging mostly about Lent for the next forty days, documenting the changes that take place in my life, talking about things I am learning and venting about the things I'm struggling with. I'd love to hear from those of you who are observing Lent this year, too! What are all of you planning doing for Lent, if anything?